Meet the Eastern Hellbender
The Eastern Hellbender is one of the strangest and coolest animals in North America! This giant salamander can grow longer than a skateboard and spends its whole life underwater. With its wrinkly skin and slimy body, it might look a little spooky, but hellbenders are gentle creatures that help keep rivers healthy. They spend most of the day hiding under rocks and come out at night to snack on crayfish, insects, and small fish.
Interesting Facts:
- Hellbenders can live for more than 30 years in the wild!
- They breathe mostly through their skin, not their lungs.
- Even though their name sounds scary, hellbenders are shy and harmless to people.
- Because they need healthy rivers, scientists call them “indicator species”—they show us how clean the water is!
Every hellbender is part of the river’s big story. By learning about them, we discover how important it is to take care of clean water for wildlife and for people.
See the Hellbender Up Close!
Check out our photo gallery to spot these giant salamanders in their river homes. Look closely at their wrinkly skin—can you see how it helps them breathe underwater?
Hellbender Habitats
Watch this video to see hellbenders in their natural river homes. These giant salamanders are secretive and spend most of their time hiding under rocks, so people don’t often get the chance to spot them in the wild. A video gives us a special peek into their underwater world and shows how they move, hunt, and live in fast-flowing streams.
As you watch, pay close attention to their unusual looks and behaviors. Do you notice their extra-wrinkly skin or the way they glide along the river bottom? Those unique features help them survive in their environment! And can you figure out why people gave them such funny nicknames like “Lasagna Lizard” and “Snot Otter”? See if the video gives you any clues!
Color It Wild
Ready to bring this hellbender to life with color? Ask an adult to help you download and print the page so you can color it at home or in the classroom!
Get Creative!
Make your own hellbender masterpiece using markers and paper! This fun project lets you trace a hellbender outline, and add color to mimic the colors of the river.
As you create, think about where hellbenders live and what makes them special. Share your art to help others learn how cool hellbender are—and why they matter!
Share Your Creation!
Do you want to share your masterpiece with others? With your parents help you can send us a photo of your art and we will add it to our Kids Corner Art Gallery!
Explore a River Habitat
Rivers are home to many amazing creatures—including the giant salamander called the hellbender! By looking closely at rivers, streams, and their surroundings, we can learn how to protect these special homes. Scientists rely on observations from everyday explorers like you to understand river health and the wildlife that depends on it.
You don’t have to be an expert—every detail you notice makes a difference!
Going on a river scavenger hunt is a fun way to connect with nature. Download our River Habitat Scavenger Hunt by clicking the image and head to a safe river or stream with an adult to see how many things you can spot. Look for signs of life both in the water and along the riverbanks. You might see minnows darting in shallow pools, crayfish hiding under rocks, or water striders skating across the surface!
Be a Hellbender Hero
You can be a wildlife hero for hellbenders! These amazing salamanders need clean rivers to survive, so do your part by keeping trash out of streams and picking up litter when you see it.
Be sure to tell your friends and family about hellbenders so more people can join in protecting them. And remember — don’t stack rocks in rivers while playing, because those rocks might be hiding a hellbender’s home!
Want more ideas for how kids like you can help hellbenders? Check out our blog here on one class becoming hellbender heroes!
